The one where Rosemary steps in it, and gets bit by a dog

(parental note: this story has a happy ending)

Venezuelans, like virtually every other Latin culture I have spent any time in, are very laid back, accepting, and adaptable to a large degree. This might be because things are so much less rigid and certain than we might expect in the US. For instance, the bus might come when it is supposed to, or it might not, or it might stop at a different place. Things we have observed here: if you don´t like the looks of the road, it is OK to drive on the sidewalk for a little while. If you need to go the wrong way down a one-way street, it´s OK, if you inch slowly along. If your bus needs to pass on a windy, mountainous road, going uphill, it is OK to do it at any time, no matter the road striping (if there even is any) or curves. If you meet another car, one of you just squeezes over a little more. It´s all tranquilo.

So I had to take a few pages out of that book on our recent excursion to the town of Jaji. Michael and I walked part way back from the town, to see the waterfalls along the way. While scrambling up the little trail to some of the upper pools, I stopped to put my pant legs on (no doubt a unique gringo need itself), and stepped in some very cleverly disguised human poop, which was under a leaf, and which I then got on my pants and leg. Disgusting as this may sound, there was really nothing to do about it but wade into the stream (park rangering mentality cringing, but I suspect this stream has seen its fair share of poop...). After scrubbing with rocks and sand and beating my pants against the rocks, the pant leg went back on and we went on with our hike. This is the flip side of being tranquilo about everything. Need to poop, it goes under the leaf.

Later along our walk, we passed a woman and her son in the yard, and their dogs ran out at us. One bit me in the leg (same pant leg...hmmm)! The people were totally relaxed about the whole affair, not bothering to call off their dogs at all. The dog didn´t do any damage, and strangely enough, none of it bothered me much at all. When in Venezuela, I guess do as the locals do (except I still prefer a cathole.) ras